Principal Investigator Positions at the Centre of Competence for Terahertz and Hybrid Semiconductor Chips

Principal Investigator Positions at the Centre of Competence for Terahertz and Hybrid Semiconductor Chips

The Centre will be established by the Vilnius University (VU) in cooperation with the Center for Physical Sciences and Technology (FTMC), Vilnius, Lithuania, the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), Netherlands, and Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre (IMEC), Leuven, Belgium.

The international Centre of Competence for Terahertz and Hybrid Semiconductor Chips newly established at Vilnius University and Center for Physical Sciences and Technology opens positions of Principal Investigators (Group Leaders) and invites to apply ambitious and motivated researchers. The Centre aims for bring together knowledge and expertise as well as competencies and technological facilities of VU, FTMC, TU/e and IMEC in the fields of semiconductors and terahertz (THz) physics, optoelectronics and photonics. The team intends to create new scientific knowledge and innovative technologies for the development of THz frequency and hybrid semiconductor chips dedicated to 6G wireless communication systems.

The given project is multidisciplinary – it covers and synergizes semiconductor nanotechnology, investigation of grown new materials like GaAsBi, InGaAs, InGaAsBi, and InAs/AlInAs, advanced THz frequency semiconductor chips design, semiconductor materials engineering and processing, novel photomixers developments, structured light application in THz communications and hydrid integration schemes. The activities in the centre will unlock the potential of the participating teams, stimulate entrepreneurship culture and development of ecosystem in Lithuania; it will enrich international cooperation of the participating institutions.

We welcome applicants willing to establish independent and internationally active research groups and intending to contribute to a rapidly growing interdisciplinary research field.

We offer:

1. An initial 3-year appointment with the possibility into a tenure-track position.
2. An attractive start-up package of up to €1 million to support intensive research team development, covering research operating costs, technological services, equipment and needed software licensing.
3. Access to technological infrastructure and research facilities available at the VU and FTMC.
4. The opportunity to join international network of cooperation spanning Vilnius, Eindhoven and Leuven, with a wide potential for joint projects, research visits and staff exchange covering co-supervision of research fellows, PhDs and students.
5. Relocation and integration support for you and your family to Vilnius.

Profiles for 2 positions for Principal Investigators in the following research topics:

• THz hybrid chips and photomixers: InGaAsBi and GaAsBi-based design of photomixers for THz frequencies, their investigation and hydrid integration with CMOS or Bi CMOS-based high-frequency amplifiers. Their application for THz frequency range communication systems.
• THz structured light for next generation wireless communication systems: Generation and investigation – both theoretically and experimentally – of THz structured light in 6G communication wireless systems, exploration of directivity and steering capabilities, possibilities of THz light engineering directly on a semiconductor chip.

Requirements:

1. PhD or equivalent in physics, electrical engineering, technology or related fields.
2. Minimum of three years of postdoctoral research experience and demonstrate capabilities to work independently, to establish and lead the research group.
3. Enrich ongoing work at FTMC and VU laboratories via international cooperation and attracting additional funding; establish cooperation with other groups in the Centre and support commercialization of the developed products.
4. Demonstrate enthusiasm in preparing articles for highly ranked journals, collaborative activities, and promoting staff in the Centre developments.

Employment conditions:

Full-time position for 3 years with the possibility to extend into a tenure-track position.

Annual salary from €53,000 up to €73,000 depending on the experience and competences; additional benefits including mobility support for short-term visits to cooperative institutions abroad. It also includes expertise and assistance of technology transfer office, wide scale of facilities for entrepreneurship.

Application:

The applicants should send the following documents via e-mail (to Dr. Linas Minkevičius: THzhybridchips@ff.vu.lt) by the 16th March 2026.

The package of documents includes Narrative CV (1-2 pages), list of publications, short description of the most important scientific achievements with recent 5 years and research program proposal (3-4 pages).

Selected candidates will be invited for an online interview with the selection committee.

Join us in beautiful city of Vilnius – one of the top-rated cities for work-life balance globally! Opportunities in Vilnius can be found here (https://vilnius.lt/?lang=en).

Centre will be located at Vilnius, in the Sunrise Valley, in the building of the National Centre for Physical Sciences and Technology (Saulėtekio al. 3, Vilnius).

PARTICIPATING INSTITUTIONS:

Center for Physical Sciences and Technology (FTMC, Vilnius)

The Center for Physical Science and Technology (https://ftmc.lt/en/) is the largest non-university scientific organization in the Baltic states with more than 700 staff including more than 500 researches. The FTMC is RTO organization, member of EARTO. The Center is focused on advancing science-based innovations and contributing to technological progress that benefit industry, society and national interests.

The activities will be focused in two Departments. The Department of Optoelectronics has established a THz technology cluster covering the entire value chain — from semiconductor materials growth using molecular beam epitaxy up to device design, fabrication, investigations and possible applications. The team have successfully developed novel GaAsBi-compounds, applied them for compact THz time-domain spectroscopic systems. Novel room temperature THz sensors (bow-tie diodes, bolometers) were produced, compact homodyne, heterodyne and spectroscopic THz imaging systems were developed, innovative solution in diffractive optics and metamaterials for flat THz optics were suggested. Applications of THz structured light for imaging were studied establishing design rules for non-paraxial THz imaging systems. The Department of Physical Technologies specializes in device processing and fabrication, focusing on GaN-based structures for THz modulation, significantly improving amplitude modulation and phase shifts near 2D plasmon resonance, and developing electro-optical THz modulators.

Vilnius University (VU)

With nearly of 450 years of academic history (established in 1579), Vilnius University (Vilnius University) is the oldest and the most comprehensive university in Lithuania ranked as the nation’s leading institution in research and high education. Today VU integrates deep academic traditions, wide scale of research together with a forward-looking vision via 15 faculties and scientific centres covering large variety of fields — from humanities and social sciences to physics, medicine, and life sciences.

Department of Physics. The Department is the largest and one of the most attractive places to study physics and make research in physics in Lithuania. The Departments unites efforts of internationally recognized scientific groups in the field of laser physics for their breakthrough discoveries and exploration in parametric gain effects and innovative developments in tunable laser systems. A particular role is dedicated to investigation of different semiconductor materials and compounds employing dynamical grating approach, using ultrafast spectroscopy techniques. The Department is famous in the field of investigation of organic materials and their-based light emitting diodes; the faculty staff coordinates Lithuania's collaboration with CERN through the Experimental Nuclear and Particle Physics Center. – In the current project, the efforts of the faculty teams will be dedicated for the development of CMOS- and BiCMOS -based semiconductor chips for THz frequencies, their systematic investigation and applications for 6G wireless communication systems. Special attention will be given for GaN structures growth by MOCVD technology and their comprehensive investigation, GaN-based structures application for THz devices like modulators, phase shifters and waveguides.

Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), Netherlands 

Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e, https://www.tue.nl/en/), is founded by the Dutch government in 1956 at the request of high-tech companies in the region. The region is home to world-leading high-tech companies such as ASML, Philips, DAF, NXP, Signify, VDL and Thermo Fischer Scientific. TU/e is not limited to cooperation with the mentioned industry – the university is famous for its traditions of entrepreneurship, creation of technological start-ups and spin-off companies. The TU/e is one of the leading universities in the Netherlands. The TU/e is ranked 140th in the QS World University Rankings (2025) and is also among the world's top 100 universities for technology and engineering in the subject-wise QS and University Rankings. The TU/e is focused on technological and engineering studies and technology development, TU/e also excels in the number of patents and the creation of intellectual property.

The Centre of Competence mainly envisages collaboration with TU/e's Department of Electrical Engineering, which aims to acquire, share and transfer knowledge in the field of electrical engineering through education and research. The department aims to be a world-class institution focused on research and design in electronics and engineering, as education and research reinforce and complement each other. Scientific activity is distinguished by a strong orientation towards applied research, its complexity and the synergy of different scientific areas.

Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre (IMEC), Leuven, Belgium 

The IMEC (https://www.imec-int.com/en) is a world-leading research and innovation development center for nanoelectronics and digital technologies. Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, IMEC is the EU leader in the development of semiconductor chips, currently coordinating the European pilot line for beyond 2 nm leading edge System-on-Chip leadership and participating in the FD-SOI Pilot Line for Applications with non-volatile embedded Memories, RF & 3D integration, to ensure European Sovereignty and Advanced Heterogeneous System Integration activities – this is related to the EK CHIPS JOINT UNDERTAKING program. IMEC has a state-of-the-art technological infrastructure, and a workforce of >5,000 employees focus on the development of next-generation chips and their systems, silicon photonics, artificial intelligence, as well as 5G communications and sensor technologies and applications.

IMEC aims to apply its developed technologies in various fields such as health and life sciences, mobility, Industry 4.0, food quality control, as well as smart cities and sustainable energy needs.